Family's heartbreaking message after boy, 4, brutally attacked by dog
Queensland authorities have warned about a "concerning" trend with reported dog attacks on the rise.
The warning follows an attack on the weekend, which saw a young boy mauled by a dog at a birthday party.
Four-year-old Ace Elson was attacked while attending the party on a property in Widgee, in the Gympie region, on April 24.
Ace was airlifted to Brisbane Children's Hospital and underwent surgery for his "extensive facial injuries".
It's not known if he was familiar with the animal or what breed it was.
In a Facebook post the following day, his father, Luke Elson said Ace was "doing well".
"He came out of surgery early this morning and the surgeon had only positive news to tell us, which was great," he wrote.
"We are blessed enough to have our boy in the best care at Queensland Children's Hospital."
Mr Elson said Ace should be out of hospital this week.
“He‘s upset. He’s questioning why the dog bit him, we‘re worried that he’s going to be petrified of dogs,” Mr Elson told Nine News.
A GoFundMe page was started for the family, who described the incident as "traumatic".
“Their darling little boy, Ace, was attacked by a dog and received extensive facial damage," family member Kris Buford wrote.
"Thankfully his surgery went well last night, however, recovery will be long, including many trips to Brisbane from Gympie.”
An increase in dog bites in the community
Queensland Ambulance Service Clinical Director Lachlan Parker said there has been an increase in dog bites — both in humans and animals — over recent months.
"We've identified a concerning trend over the last couple of months," Mr Parker said in a media conference, adding paramedics had responded to around nine attacks a month.
“A lot of these injuries require significant rehabilitation in hospital and surgical intervention."
Mr Parker said it wasn't only physical injuries that people had to be aware of, but psychological as well.
Mr Parker urged everyone to be careful around all animals and for dog owners to be responsible and mindful of potential dangers.
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